ABSTRACT
In Palestine, there is clear evidence regarding the impact of conflict and war on women, infants, health systems, and the health care workforce. Studies of the Palestinian health care system have shown that human resource problems are among the major deficiencies. In Palestine, distance is not an obstacle to accessing health care. The time required to reach a hospital from any point in the Palestinian territories now does not exceed 30 minutes in normal circumstances. Other factors, like political instability, military checkpoints, and the “separation wall,” can prevent mothers’ access to hospitals. Israeli midwives face a nursing requirement for registration and licensing. In the hospitals, they struggle to maintain a midwifery model within a medical, interventionist work environment, with high rates of epidurals, inductions, and instrumental deliveries. Their professional organization has been powerless in attempts to instill a woman-centered model into prenatal and intrapartum care.
